We're still in Burgundy. Wine tasting at Domaine Lucien Jacob

Our walk along the Burgundy Canal near Vandenesse-en-Auxois

Tranquil walk along the Burgundy Canal

Looking down the Burgundy Canal as it heads into the tunnel.

The Charolais cows up on the hill trying to stay cool.

Early morning looking at Chateauneuf

Lock house Door.

Lock house 3

At my favorite Lock House the owners turn old tools into art.

Fishing is popular in France.  Camping and fishing together is also popular

The art of stacking wood

We had attended a wine tasting lunch at Abbaye de la Bussiere.  We enjoyed the wines so much that we went to Domaine Lucien Jacob to continue the tasting. We found that one of my favorite wines produced by Domaine Lucien Jacob was aged in Acacia wood.  It was a Chardonnay.  Acacia comes from the forests in Northern France and is sawed rather than split into staves.  It's used by a handful of wineries worldwide.  It p;produced a lovely wine.  We had no idea they produced 29 wines.  We went back to the boat with plenty of wine for our cellar.

Tom tasting at Domaine Lucien Jacob

The wine cellar of Domaine Lucian Jacob

 When you think about it, there are many wine barrels that have outlived their usefulness.  What happens to them?  Jean-Michel Jacob of Domaine Lucien Jacob shows his artistic side by using old barrels to create interesting pieces of art.

A sample of the art of Jean-Michel

Calm before the storm

I can't stop photographing Chateauneuf.

Plum tart made from plums we picked along the canal.

 We finally decided to replace our water heater before we had a fire.  Out with the old, and in with the new.

Tom and Philippe removed the old water heater.

The old water heater was extremely heavy, probably because of the calcium build up from over 25 years.

It's time to pick peaches along the canal.

Our new friends Paul and Catherine joined us for a morning cruise and lunch on board Rabelo.

 Tom and I went for a walk one morning keeping one eye on the sky.  We didn't turn around in time and got caught in a huge storm.  I've discovered that walking in hail isn't fun.  Fortunately I saw an uninhabited lock house with an unlocked door in the back.  We ducked inside to wait out the hail and pouring rain.  We gave up waiting for the storm to end and continued walking back in the rain to the boat.

The damage caused by the storm was immense.  There were fallen trees all along the canal.

 All the villages and towns have war memorials as a reminder of what was lost in WWI and WWII.

A war memorial in Veuvey-sur-Ouche

 We went to a stone quarry in Villars-Fontaine-La Karriere

Part of the art displayed in the Rock Quarry 

There was a large paper mache exhibit all around the quarry.

Lock House 4, Burgundy Canal, France

We spent one month and eleven days tied up at Vandenesse-en-Auxois.  I loved every minute of it.  We didn't spend all of our time there as we took side trips to Chamonix, France and then Spain.  It was hot but we took our daily walks early and discovered this particular area provided shade for most of our walk.

Our daily walk along the Burgundy Canal from Vandenesse-en-Auxois

Part of our walk was above the tunnel on the Burgundy Canal

Looking at Lock House 4 along the Burgundy Canal

Everyone who goes by this Lock House stops to take pictures.  You could spend hours examining all the different tools collected and art created from old tools beautifully displayed all around the house.

Lock House 4 on the Burgundy Canal

Small selection of the eclectic collection on the walls of Lock House 4

Collection of antique farm equipment by Lock House 4

One of my favorite old farm pieces by Lock 4

View of Chateauneuf en Auxois on our walk.

 This restaurant next to Lock 8 caters to the locals.  Hence the lunch besides being a bargain at 15 euro is always hearty.The guys enjoy a drink before eating.

Social time at the restaurant.

The biggest old Basset Hound we've ever seen.  He gave us the opportunity to speak to and get acquainted with his owners. 

This lunch started with an assortment of salads.

Next course was steak and fries.

The cheese plate goes from table to table.  If one type of cheese gets low, another piece is added.

We can't skip dessert.

 A beautiful day in Vandenesse-en-Auxois with a view of Chateauneuf.  Rabelo is parked on the right.  The hotel barge Wine and Water is forward and to the left side of the canal.

Enjoying the tranquility of our mooring at Vandenesse-en-Auxois.

Rabelo with the village of Vandenesse-en-Auxois behind us.

 We were fortunate enough to be introduced to the British sculptor Paul Day.  He is known for his high-relief sculptures in terra-cotta, resin and bronze.  We have been admiring his work for years at the Abbaye de la Bussiere.  We were invited to his home in Burgundy to meet his lovely wife, his beautiful dogs, and see his studio where he creates his work.  Then we went into his gallery.  His work is incredible!  One day I hope to own one of his bronzes.

Artist Paul Day with one of his dogs.

Tom is standing next to part of a sculpture so you can get an idea of the size.  The completed piece is displayed at the Abbaye de la Bussiere.

Studies by Paul Day

Amazing perspective on this piece!

His busts are interesting.  Some are two sided.

His busts have surprises as you examine them.

Lunch on Rabelo as I cleaned out the refrigerator.

 The history of Chateauneuf dates back to around 1180, when the youngest son of a neighboring noble family inherited the castle fort and made it the seat of a new manor.  The first lord of the manor, Jean de Chateauneuf, renovated and extended the old, small fort in the early 13th century.  The Chateauneuf lords played an important role in building up a community around their castle fort by encouraging and helping new inhabitants to settle there.  Chateauneuf was at its apex in the 16th century.  However, the industrial revolution and the ensuing rural exodus during the second half of the 19th century dealt a blow to the growth of Chateauneuf.  An old buildings at Chateauneuf-en-Auxois.

Notice the date of 1736.

More of Dijon, Burgundy, Abbaye de la Bussiere-sur-Ouche, and Vandenesse-en-Auxois, France

Not a sign we would normally see in the USA.

Square Darcy in Dijon

 We attended a wine tasting lunch at Abbaye de la Bussiere.  The vintners were Jean-Michel and Christine Jacob of Domaine Lucien Jacob Winery.  We enjoyed meeting and chatting with Christine and Jean-Michel.  We learned about their winery, and discussed the land and how they make their wines.  We were particularly intrigued with the fact that they use Acacia wood to age one of their Chardonnay.  That was a particular favorite of mine.  We look forward to visiting them at their winery and sampling more of their wines.  The event took place in the Monks Wine Cellar of the Abbaye.  Adorning the walls of the room were interesting three dimensional wall hangings created by Jean-Michel.  (He uses old wine barrels to create wonderful art.  I may need to purchase one of his pieces for our boat).  The Michelin starred chief did a fabulous job with the meal and the wines were delicious.  We were a small group as word hasn't gotten out yet as to what a special annual event this is. If you are ever in Burgundy, the Abbaye is a place you should consider visiting. The grounds, food, and the public spaces are amazing. We haven't seen any of the rooms, but  understand they are beautiful, and reasonably priced.  With the owners being very hands on, you are likely to meet one of the family members during a visit.

Wine and lunch at Abbaye de la Bussiere

The wines we sampled from Domaine Lucien Jacob

 The grounds of the Abbaye La Bussiere are spectacular.  Adding to the drama of the setting are these three bulls by the artist Paul Day resting on the front lawn.

After Chamonix Tina and Allen joined us on Rabelo.  We wanted to show Tina and Allen a few of the sights in Dijon before taking them to the countryside.

An exhausted Tina and Allen finally arrived in Dijon after a long bus ride from Chamonix.

 We went with Tina and Allen for lunch at one of our favorite little restaurants in Dijon, DZ Envies.

Allen enjoyed the Burgundy beef cheeks.

Tina and I enjoyed our lighter deconstructed seafood salad.

The Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy is a place we recommend to all first timers in Dijon.

In the Guards Hall the tombs of John the Fearless and Margaret of Baviera

In the Museum of Fine Arts

 Rue Verrerie:  most of these houses on this street date back to the 15th Century.  They are timber framed and corbelling out (onto the street).  They have been systematically restored over the past several years.  Their typical facades are an example of what Dijon was like in medieval times with narrow streets lined with workshops.

Rue Verrerie dating back to the 15th Century

Cruising along the Burgundy Canal with Chateauneuf in the background.

We met up with Neil and Louise with their family for dinner in Morey-Saint-Denis at Chateau Gilly

  Tom and I enjoy our long walks and when possible search out new sights.  We took a road that went away from the Burgundy Canal.  We found the little village of La Lochère.

This looks like an original roof

Another view of an old building in La Lochère

I couldn't figure out what these people were collecting and placing on their doors and windows.  They certainly added color.

The light is exquisite on the harvested fields of hay.